


Home sweet home

by GealachGirl



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: Bedsharing, Gen Kill Week, Going Home, M/M, Roadtrips, introductions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 08:55:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12055569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GealachGirl/pseuds/GealachGirl
Summary: Brad and Ray take a road trip to visit Mama Person, and Ray's trying not to be nervous.





	Home sweet home

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure this turned out exactly the way I wanted it to, but I'm late enough as it is.

     “Ray.” Brad’s voice rumbled up from the depths of his chest, vibrating through Ray’s back. “Why the fuck are you awake?”

      “Wow Bradley, that was tame,” Ray said, because pretending was useless. “Are you getting soft on me?” He didn’t want to talk about why he couldn’t sleep anyway. He should be excited to see his mom.

      A few seconds passed and Ray wondered if he’d won, but then Brad stirred behind him. The shifting blanket let the air-conditioned room into the once-warm cocoon and Ray tried to tighten the blanket around his shoulders.

      “Ray,” Brad’s gravelly voice was closer now, still weighed down by sleep. “I can hear the thoughts bouncing around in that empty cavity where your brain should be. It’s 4:18 in the morning, give that microscopic, over-worked organ a break.”

     Ray rolled his eyes because this was just Brad’s dysfunctional way of being supportive and the bed shifted again as the giant laid back down.

     “Twenty-four hour, roadtrip bullshit,” Brad mumbled, settling into the mattress. “And all because of Oklahoma. Every state in the middle of the country is fucked backwards, and avoiding that one isn’t going to save brain cells.”

     “Oh whatever, homes. I know you’re excited to finally see my old stomping grounds, you don’t have to hide it from me,” Ray said, as annoying as he could. “I’m your man.” He made his point by digging into the mattress and pushing closer to Brad—under the warm blankets once more.

 

     Crickets were chirping and Brad tried hard to tune them out.

     “Goddamn, sometimes I forget about the stars, y’know homes?” Ray was staring at the sky through the car window and his voice was hushed. Brad glanced over to catch his expression because it was hard to tell if he was serious when he sounded like that.

     “How the hell do you forget about the stars?” Brad asked. “Surely you’ve developed enough to have a grasp on object permanence.”

     Ray shook his head, his eyes still on the sky. “I’m a city boy now, all I see are the gleaming lights of progress and civilization. Isn’t that what you always say? Besides, I don’t get to sleep glorified tin cans in the desert anymore.”

     “Could that be why we don’t have hotel accommodations? You were nostalgic for Iraq?” Brad shifted, torn from the moment as he was reminded they were sleeping in the reclined front seats of the car.

     Ray groaned and pressed his palms against his eyes. “I know, I know. I forgot and I’m a dumbass, but doesn’t this bring back memories?”

     “Shut the fuck up, Ray.” Brad wasn’t even that annoyed anymore, but it didn’t mean Ray was allowed to bring up silver linings.

     “Come on! You were made for sleeping in cars, even though you’re tall as shit.” Ray propped himself on his elbow to look into Brad’s face. All Brad could see was the dull shine of streetlights in Ray’s eyes and his goading grin, and Brad wasn’t impressed.

     “Not when I’m on leave,” he replied

     Ray flopped back onto the seat, and rubbed his hands over his head. “I said I was sorry. It just slipped my mind.” But he looked distracted, and Brad knew his idiot savant didn’t forget things like this.

     He also knew he wouldn’t change anything with words, so even though the gear shift was in the way and the car wasn’t made for it, Brad slid toward the center and pulled Ray into his chest. Just as if they were on a real bed.

     Ray settled into the touch for a moment before he ruined it by speaking. “Besides I knew being in a victor brought out your dumb softie side, that was my plan all along.”

     Brad shook his head, but he didn’t go anywhere.

 

     “I’m just saying—how good am I?” Ray asked, holding his arms wide before he threw the light off.

     “You’re just lucky we found this place,” Brad replied from the bed across the room. The streetlights shined through the thin motel curtains and the walls reflected the orange light so it filled the space. Ray did have to admit this beat sleeping in the car again.

     “And just think, tomorrow we’ll be in my childhood room,” Ray said, more than a little wistful as he climbed into bed.

     “Holy shit, dude, I can show you the Wall of fucking Heroes. Hell, I can give you a whole damn tour of town if you want. The house is probably too small for your giant freak ass, and think of all the things you can get on your high horse about.” He noticed his voice was rising the faster he talked, but he told himself it didn’t matter.

     Ray tucked into the blankets, even as his adrenaline crashed through his veins at the thought of bringing Brad home and introducing him as his boyfriend.

     “I’ll get to see where it all went wrong,” Brad replied, settling down and throwing his arm over Ray. “The fields where the great American promise stalled and finally died.”

     “No sweetie, that’s Oklahoma,” Ray reminded, still buzzing.

     “Shut up,” Brad murmured, relaxing so his body sank into the bed. His lips brushed against Ray’s temple when he spoke and Ray let out a breath. Then he turned his face into pillow and tucked his shoulder under Brad, and tried to go to sleep and not worry about tomorrow.

 

     Soft rain pattering on the roof and the light thunder rumbling overhead greeted Brad when he cracked his eyes open. Gray light filtered into the room and he blinked against it while he gathered his senses.

     He was in Ray’s old bed, and he even though he covered the whole twin-sized mattress, it was comfortable. But what made Brad happiest was that Ray was still fast asleep on top of him.

     He was sprawled over Brad’s back, with his cheek pressed against Brad’s shoulder blade, and he’d finally relaxed. After the last three days of restless sleep, he’d dropped like an anchor last night.

     Outside, the rain kept falling, but the house was quiet, and Brad was content to look around Ray’s old room and the books stacked in different places all over it.

     A little while later, Brad felt Ray stir.

     “Mmm, good old prairie storms,” he said. His voice was thick with sleep and muffled by Brad’s back, but he sounded happy.

     Ray resettled like he had no intention to move and Brad was okay with that. “Your mom seems to like me,” he observed.

     “Yeah, not bad for a first meeting,” Ray sighed, like it hadn’t been his worry. “Good thing Mama Person’s immune to socially awkward bastards like you. She makes friends with everyone.”  

     “She probably had to learn to make up for the fact she delivered you into this world,” Brad replied.

     “I’m the best thing that ever happened to her and she knows it,” Ray said, his voice still mostly directed into Brad’s shoulder.

     “Whatever you say, Ray.” But Brad was happy to hear him believe it again.


End file.
